On Wednesday, November 27, President-elect Donald Trump and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo talked about closing the US-Mexico border. Behind the conversation, it seems an accord is waiting in the wings. While both sides declared the discussion productive, an undercurrent is being purposely obscured by US media.
The Mexico Connection
“Just had a wonderful conversation with the new President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo,” Trump wrote on social media. “She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border. We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also, U.S. consumption of these drugs. It was a very productive conversation!”
He later declared boldly, “Mexico will stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately. THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARD STOPPING THE ILLEGAL INVASION OF THE USA. Thank you!!!”
Despite President Sheinbaum’s combative tone last week when responding to Trump’s threat to impose a 25% tariff on America’s southern neighbor, she lauded the talks and her own efforts to stop the flow of people:
“Thanks to this, migrants and caravans are assisted before they reach the border… We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”
And yet, enthusiasm is notably lacking in the media coverage.
Unleash the Pooh-Poohing!
DC’s most notable newspaper was quick to pooh-pooh the news, insisting that:
“While migrants routinely form caravans in southernmost Mexico to move through dangerous areas where they could be kidnapped, the caravans typically only travel a few days before they’re disbanded by Mexican authorities. Not a single big migrant caravan has made it to the U.S. border in at least six years.”
But this ignores the reality of the situation in a way that demonstrates either an obtuse ignorance or a purposeful diminishing of what it actually means.
Of course, big caravans do not make it to the US border! Why would they? Why would migrants travel hundreds of miles to make an illegal crossing and then line up at a single spot where they could be waiting days to get through or be corralled when they finally do? Caravans travel together until they are within range and then spread out to improve their chances of a successful crossing. That the DC news purveyor would suggest otherwise is almost certainly designed to delude their dwindling readership into thinking an agreement with Mexico is either futile or window-dressing.
However, the coalescing battle against Trump’s plans is perhaps even more spurious.
Since Donald Trump announced his across-the-board tariff proposal, both social and legacy media have been flooded with two arguments. The first is that “avocados will be more expensive,” and the second is that “American consumers will carry the burden.” These twin rebuttals are as self-serving as they are disconnected.
The Avocado Assault
Let’s talk avocados. A bevy of posts and articles declare that the cost of food – and for some reason, avocados are the go-to example – will rise by a quarter. “Hope you like paying more for your guac” is an oft-repeated dig at those who voted for Trump. How out of touch can a group of disaffected “resistance” fighters be to think the American public would rather have open borders with its high cost and increased criminality just to get their tasty green dip?
The shade of Marie Antoinette would doubtless approve.
Then there is the argument stating the American taxpayer will be the most negatively impacted by a 25% tariff. Certainly, the US gets a big chunk of exports from Mexico, but the balance is unequal. More than 78% of Mexican exports go to America; should the US decide that a price increase imposed by the seller is too high, consumers might just cut back. That’s an outsized detriment to businesses south of the border.
President Sheinbaum has to live in the political world, and she has a choice: stop the flow of migration or suffer the wrath of every business that relies on exports. Whether Americans stop buying, buy less, or find other suppliers from third-party nations who can now compete thanks to a price hike, it all points to an economic catastrophe. Or she could close her southern border, and trade can continue as normal.
Remember, at today’s prices, avocados in Mexico are around $1.30 per pound. In Columbia, that’s about 90 cents.
The Self-Preservation Society
The barrage of criticism – some valid, much not – against Trump’s proposed tariffs mainly focuses on prices. What is entirely missed is that tariffs are and always have been a political tool. When President Sheinbaum said she would impose her own reciprocal trade costs, the US media did not leap to crucify her over the damage it would do to her economy. Instead, the Fourth Estate closed its collective eyes and sought to demonize President-elect Trump and play a dishonest language game where bad things only happen on one side of the border.
It seems that the incoming president, in reality, does not want tariffs. Instead, he is using the threat (and, make no mistake, it is a threat he fully intends to carry out) to deal with the humanitarian crisis that faces the United States.
President Sheinbaum may just be going through the motions with talks of “cooperation” and “increased security,” but when those tariffs kick in, we may witness a Damascene conversion that makes her a true believer in national sovereignty and border security.